Camp Magical Moments: Cancer Camp for kids

One summer camp in Swan Valley is a little different. All the campers have one thing in common: they have all been diagnosed with cancer as kids.

SWAN VALLEY, Idaho -

Summer camps are in full swing across the country.

One summer camp in Swan Valley is a little different. All the campers have one thing in common: they have all been diagnosed with cancer as kids.

Before each meal, the campers and staff at Camp Magical Moments grab hands and sing their thanks.

But if you walk across the campgrounds, a very special poem replaces the songs and cheers.

“I wonder why he chose me,” 10 year-old Rylan reads from a neatly engraved stone. “A cell growing out of control so rapidly. I wonder why he chose me, a tumor on my brain stem nobody could see.”

“Well, this poem, for one, inspires kids to fight against cancer,” said Rylan.

They are the words from a fellow camper who lost his fight with cancer.

“He was a big inspiration to this camp,” said Rylan.

“It's really important for the children to know if something does happen, we'll always remember them in the garden of angels,” said Ann Walsh, the camp’s founder and director.

“We're just very excited the kids can come to camp,” said Walsh. “They would not be able to go to another camp because of all their medical issues. If they lose their hair it’s no big deal because the kids have all gone through it.”

“It's kind of fun having someone that actually went through the stuff you went through,” said five-time camper Kane.

While they have cancer in common, any camper will tell you it’s mostly about having fun.

“You just can't find a place like this anywhere else,” said Rylan.

Camp Magical Moments is free to the families. They even help pay for the gas to get there.

All the camp staff are volunteers who take a week off of work to help out.